Investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and states Attorneys General are important steps in holding Equifax accountable to consumers who had no choice to be in a relationship with them to begin with. Potential criminal wrongdoing should also be investigated.

Even with everything the Equifax breach has brought to light, many in Congress are trying to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and get rid of protections, including our right to a day in court with companies like Equifax. Protecting consumers is not a left-right issue, it’s a little guy-big guy issue.

We’re recommending that consumers get credit freezes with all three credit bureaus. We’ve called on Equifax to pay for all those freezes, but consumers shouldn’t wait for that. Credit freezes are currently only free in seven states(about to be eight in October). We are working to make them free in other places like Illinois and Massachusetts, where state bills have been introduced.

But Congress should lead and make credit freezes free for everyone in the country.

U.S. PIRG Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at uspirgedfund.org.